The 50 Most Influential Women in West Michigan - 2014

Grand Rapids Business Journal presents "The 50 Most Influential Women in West Michigan"

March 4, 2014
Amway Grand Plaza Hotel
Ambassador Ballroom
you
make all the
diﬀerence
in the world
50 Most Innuential Women in
West Michigan
Aquinas celebrates our alumnae:
Bridget Clark Whitney, BA ‘03
Amy Marshall, BA ‘08
Sandra Frost Steensma, MM ’87
Beverly Fischell Wall, BSBA ‘83
prayer | study | ser vice | communit y
www.aquinas.edu • (616) 632-8900
prayer | study | ser vice | communit y
www.aquinas.edu • (616) 632-8900
Photo Credit: Andrew McGuire
KCAD would like to congratulate alumna
Kim Dabbs (‘02, Art History) on being named
one of the 50 most influential women in
West Michigan. Each year at WMCAT, she
and her team provide hundreds of teens
and adults with access to creative outlets,
technological tools, educational resources,
and support systems that move them
from where they are to where they want
to be—now that’s what we call making an
impact! We’re proud to count her amongst
our vast network of distinguished alumni
and community partners who’ve joined us
in a collaborative effort to change the world
through art and design.
“To KCAD, the
most important
thing isn’t where
students come
from; it’s where
they end up.”
Kendall College of Art and Design
Ferris State University
kcad.edu | 800.676.2787
President David Rosen
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CONGRATULATIONS
MICHELLE!
On being named one of "The Most
Influential Women in West Michigan".
We agree.
Michelle Van Dyke
Regional President
Fifth Third Bank
4 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 50 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN
PUBLISHER
John H. Zwarensteyn:
jzwarensteyn@geminipub.com
EDITOR
Carole Valade: cvalade@grbj.com
MANAGING EDITOR
Tim Gortsema: tgortsema@grbj.com
COPY EDITOR
Donna Ferraro: dferraro@grbj.com
ONLINE EDITOR
Chris Ehrlich: cehrlich@grbj.com
STAFF REPORTERS
Pete Daly: pdaly@grbj.com
Charlsie Dewey: cdewey@grbj.com
Mike Nichols: mnichols@grbj.com
Rachel Weick: rweick@grbj.com
STAFF RESEARCHER/REPORTER
Pat Evans: pevans@grbj.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
AliciaMarie Belchak
NEW MEDIA, DESIGN
& PRODUCTION MANAGER
Scott Sommerfeld:
ssommerfeld@geminipub.com
ASSISTANT DESIGN
& PRODUCTION MANAGER
Chris Pastotnik: cpastotnik@geminipub.com
ART COORDINATOR
Kelly J. Nugent: knugent@geminipub.com
DESIGNERS/PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS
Melissa Brooks: mbrooks@geminipub.com
Kristen VanOostenbrugge:
kristenv@geminipub.com
Robin Vargo: rvargo@geminipub.com
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Johnny Quirin
GENERAL SALES MANAGER
Randy D. Prichard:
rprichard@geminipub.com
ADVERTISING SALES CONSULTANTS
Christina McDonald Meister:
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Drew Nelson: dnelson@geminipub.com
Craig R. Rich: crich@geminipub.com
ADVER. SALES ASSISTANT/
COORDINATOR
Karla Jeltema: kjeltema@geminipub.com
CIRCULATION & MARKETING MANAGER
Scott T. Miller: smiller@geminipub.com
CIRCULATION & MARKETING
COORDINATOR
Alex Fluegel: afluegel@geminipub.com
CIRCULATION & MARKETING ASSISTANT
Shane Chapin: schapin@geminipub.com
FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION MANAGER
Pamela Brocato, CPA:
pbrocato@geminipub.com
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Tina Gillman: tgillman@geminipub.com
RECEPTION/CLERICAL SERVICES
General Inquiries: info@grbj.com
Lorraine Brugger: recept@geminipub.com
TO ORDER REPRINTS
Karla Jeltema: kjeltema@geminipub.com,
(616) 459-4545
Shattering steel ceilings
G
rand Rapids Business Journal is pleased to continue a biennial tradition
that began in 1997 when the first list of GRBJ Most Influential Women
was published. Their number then was less than 50.
The importance of continuing the GRBJ 50 Most Influential Women in
West Michigan was underscored this year as women around the world — and
especially in Michigan — applauded the announcement of Mary Barra’s new
title of CEO with General Motors. She became one of 23 women CEOs of
Fortune 500 companies in this country and the first ever in the automotive
industry. Forbeswoman.com columnist Anne Doyle noted Barra had shattered
not just a glass, but a steel, ceiling.
The women profiled here were selected from 110 nominations. Those
nominations came from co-workers, employees, civic community members —
and proud sons and daughters.
Those not represented on these pages this year are certainly “ones to watch”
as West Michigan continues to expand the ranks of women in leadership
positions in business, on community and corporate boards, in political
appointments and elections.
Readers may take for granted that this group of West Michigan women are
involved in community well outside their professional areas of expertise, but
would without doubt underestimate the extent of such involvement, far too
numerous to include in each profile. Many of them are likely to host their own
birthday party as a method of fundraising for a charity, issue or cause. The cause
of supporting one another and mentoring other women is top of mind among
this group. Many of the women profiled here hold dual titles and leadership
responsibilities.
The Business Journal elects to request the assistance and time of judges
from outside this region, individuals who are influential from east Michigan:
— Michelle Richards has been the executive director of the Center for
Empowerment & Economic Development for more than 20 years. CEED
provides small business training, counseling, financing and other assistance to
women and minorities. One CEED program is the Michigan Women’s Business
Council, which provides certification and procurement assistance to womenowned businesses. Richards has served as president of the Michigan council and
as a board member of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council. She
has been honored with the Michigan Small Business Administration Women’s
Business Advocate of the Year Award, and was a participant in the Women’s
Economic Summit at the White House. The city of Ypsilanti and the Women’s
Council of Washtenaw County selected Richards as its 2010 Athena Award
recipient.
— Bob Thomas is executive director of Michigan Chamber of Commerce
Foundation, which includes Leadership Michigan.
—Christine Scharrer is executive director of Leadership Oakland and owner
of a business leadership consulting firm.
Congratulations to the nominees and the GRBJ 50 Most Influential Women
in West Michigan.
— Carole Valade
P U B L I C A T I O N S
RESEARCH BY
AUDITED BY
50 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 5
Changing lives and
communities through the
power of work for the
past 47 years!
industries
Goodwill congratulates KATHY CROSBY
as one of Grand Rapids Business Journalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
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Congratulations!
Kathleen Vogelsang
Director, Chief Investment Officer, Van Andel Institute
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Congratulations to
PEGGY MURPHY, CPA
The team at Hungerford Nichols salutes
Shareholder Peggy Murphy for being
selected as one of the Most Influential
Women in West Michigan!
6 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 50 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN
Named one of the
50 Most Influential Women in West Michigan.
THE 50 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN WEST MICHIGAN
Patricia Barker
Stacie Behler
Rosalynn Bliss
Doreen Bolhuis
Mary Bonnema
Julie Bulson
Bridget Clark Whitney
Kathy Crosby
Kim Dabbs
Jeanne Englehart
Elizabeth Joy Fossel
Christina Freese-Decker
Mimi Fritz
Floriza Genautis
Jane Gietzen
Meg Goebel
Cynthia Havard
Mary K. Hoodhood
Shelley Irwin
Jennifer Jurgens
Cynthia Kay
Leslie King
Birgit Klohs
Denise Kolesar
Cindy Locklin
Amy Marshall
Janet Mason
Jennifer Maxson
Peaches McCahill
Mary McLoughlin
Rachel Mraz
Peggy Murphy
Bonnie Nawara
Amy Proos
Michelle Rabideau
Mandee Rick
Mary Ellen Rodgers
Raquel Salas
Ginny Seyferth
Amna Seibold
Diana Sieger
Sara Smolenski
Sandra Frost Steensma
Michelle Van Dyke
Tami VandenBerg
Kathleen Vogelsang
Linda J. Vos-Graham
Beverly Wall
Chris Willis
Shannon Wilson
50 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 7
PATRICIA BARKER
Artistic Director – School Director
Grand Rapids Ballet
A world-renowned prima ballerina, Patricia
Barker serves two vital roles at Grand Rapids
Ballet. As artistic director since 2010 of Michigan’s only professional ballet company, she is
responsible for creating, articulating and implementing the artistic vision, and managing artistic personnel, budgeting, programming and fund
development. As director of the ballet school,
she sets curriculum, manages faculty/staff, and
tends to parent relationships as well as the productions of the Junior Company.
Each year, 2,000 children ages 5 to 19 benefit from the ballet’s outreach programs, helping create a place with active contributors
to the social fabric of the area. As one of the
few female artistic directors in the world,
Barker works actively as a cultural ambassador for Grand Rapids and the West Michigan
brand wherever she travels. Previously, Barker
served as artistic advisor for the Slovak National
Ballet and Hungarian National Ballet.
Her entrepreneurial endeavors include
founding dance apparel company BKWear and
consulting on design for a signature pointe shoe
and a patented contemporary dance shoe at
Bloch. Barker was the 2007 recipient of Seattle
Storm’s 2007 Women of Inspiration Award, and
her legacy includes the Patricia Barker Endowed
Scholarship Fund at the Pacific Northwest Ballet, where she was principal dancer.
Since 2005, she has been a spokesperson for
the United States Bone and Joint Decade, part of
a worldwide initiative to improve prevention of
bone and joint disorders. She is currently a board
member of the Tateuchi Center, a performing
arts center in Bellevue, Wash., and on the advisory boards for Pointe Magazine, CriticalDance.
com, California Ballet and Broadway Bound.
STACIE BEHLER
Group Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications
Meijer Inc.
A former lawyer, Stacie Behler often finds herself
at the forefront of policy and community development in West Michigan as a result of her varied leadership roles. Behler fills dual positions in
her career: overseeing communications, media
and public relations for Meijer Inc., and serving
as executive director of the Meijer Foundation.
In addition to managing five state Meijer political action committees, she supervises the
company’s political involvement and state and
federal policy work. At Meijer, Behler directs all
community and philanthropic work, which includes investing more than 6 percent of the company’s net annual profit back into the Midwest
communities in which Meijer stores are located.
Her work with the Meijer Foundation includes assisting trustees with their engagement
in arts, education, health and economic develop-
8 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 50 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN
ment of Michigan communities. A regular mentor, Behler said she takes leadership opportunities seriously in the hopes of making a positive
and significant impact.
She currently is chair of the board for Heart
of West Michigan United Way and a board member for Michigan Women’s Foundation, Power
of 100 Women, Experience Grand Rapids, Muskegon Museum of Art and Grand Rapids Area
Chamber of Commerce where she also serves as
policy chair for the executive committee.
She lends her leadership to the West Michigan planning committee for the Michigan Political Leadership Program annual fundraiser and
to the Grand Rapids Economic Club as recent
chair for the program committee and annual
dinner committee, which brought Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton as a speaker.
ROSALYNN BLISS
City Commissioner, Grand Rapids
Director of Residential Services, D.A. Blodgett – St. John’s Home
Now serving her third term as Grand Rapids’
2nd Ward city commissioner, Rosalynn Bliss
has been actively engaged in projects she believes are important to the community. She also
works as director of residential services at D.A.
Blodgett – St. John’s Home.
She has been active in the child welfare system in Kent County and at the state level to
advocate for the most vulnerable children. She
has been recognized and honored locally and
statewide for her dedication in the field of child
abuse and neglect, as well as for her leadership in the community. Most recently, Bliss was
tapped by the Michigan Department of Human
Services to serve on a taskforce working on performance-based contracting for private agency
providers.
In her community leader role, Bliss has
worked to improve citizen engagement, economic development and quality of life. She has
served on the campaign committee for Neighbors for Parks, Pools and Playgrounds for a
dedicated millage for parks, and she continues
to serve on the Uptown Corridor Improvement
District, the Fulton Street Famers Market Redevelopment Committee and the Kent County
Land Bank Authority. A city liaison with Friends
of GR Parks, Bliss has supported policies and
funding to increase urban tree canopy and has
worked with the Urban Forest Project to enlist
citizen support and volunteers.
Currently, Bliss is a trustee with the Michigan
Municipal League, a mentor with Grand Valley
State University’s Hausenstein Center, and a
board member of the Dyer-Ives Foundation and
YMCA.
DOREEN BOLHUIS
President and CEO
Gymco Inc.
As a female entrepreneur and an advocate for
diversity and women in leadership, Doreen Bolhuis has built and grown Gymco Inc. over the
past 33 years while becoming a visionary leader
for the community.
With a $1 million budget and 30 employees,
Gymco has been named Small Business of the
Year by the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of
Commerce, honored three times as a Top Women-Owned Business by the Grand Rapids Business Journal and listed five times on the 101 Best
and Brightest Places to Work list by Michigan
Business and Professional Association.
Bolhuis also created the Gymtrix DVD series
designed to get kids active and teach sport skills.
A tireless small business coach, a mentor to female professionals and an adjunct fitness professor at Aquinas College, Bolhuis has garnered
honors from Inforum of West Michigan and
Women’s Resource Center.
On a state level, she works to promote business-friendly legislation through board service
with the West Michigan Policy Forum and the
GR Area Chamber. She is a member of the Michigan Fitness Foundation and sits on the Governor’s Council for Physical Fitness, Health and
Sports. As a former elite-level gymnastics coach
and member of the Junior Olympic Committee
for USA Gymnastics, Bolhuis regularly blogs
and shares her expertise in physical literacy in
the media.
She also speaks on the subject of small business development and actively mentors women,
business leaders and other entrepreneurs. She
currently sits on the advisory council for Grand
Rapids Public Schools’ Academy of Business,
Leadership & Entrepreneurship.
MARY BONNEMA
President and CEO
McGarry Bair PC
As one of the first female managing shareholders of a West Michigan law firm, Mary Bonnema
is a trailblazer.
As president and CEO of McGarry Bair since
2000, she has developed a highly successful,
high-tech, high-touch law firm specializing in
all aspects of intellectual property. Her clients
include several Fortune 500 companies and
their global intellectual property portfolios. In
fact, McGarry Bair was named a Go-To Law
Firm for the Top 500 Companies by Fortune
Magazine for the sixth consecutive year, and
has been named a U.S. News and World Report
Best Law Firm for 2014.
Bonnema was recently named a member of
the Bar Register for Pre-eminent Women Lawyers for 2014 by Martindale-Hubbell.
In addition to leading the firm and serving as
an active practicing attorney, Bonnema holds
many board and volunteer responsibilities and
is committed to the West Michigan community.
For the last five years, she has volunteered for
The Dwelling Place Charity Event each April.
Previously, she acted as girls soccer team
manager for Grand Rapids Crew Juniors and
coached Odyssey of the Mind teams for elementary students at West Side Christian School,
where she also recently served on the school’s
principal search committee.
Bonnema currently sits on the board of trustees for Calvin College, speaks at local colleges
and writes prolifically in her spare time. In
addition to professional articles, she has published two historical romance novels under the
pen name Ellie Cort.
50 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 9
JULIE BULSON
Director of Emergency Preparedness
Spectrum Health
As Spectrum Health’s director of emergency
preparedness, Julie Bulson brings a host of insights and leadership governance gathered during her 30 years in health care, 20 of which are
in emergency preparedness.
Bulson currently oversees emergency preparedness planning for eight acute care hospitals, including Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital,
long-term care sites and urgent care centers. In
a field that is a traditionally male dominated, she
said she finds she’s good at motivating and empowering people to get disaster planning work
done through collaboration.
Bulson regularly represents local hospitals on
community emergency preparedness planning
committees, and she has presented at several
national and local conferences, including panel
discussions for the Centers for Disease Control
and for the Michigan Ethics Resource Network.
At Spectrum Health, Bulson has been integral
in the development of disaster response and
organizational readiness to support the community through any crisis and created the first
hospital-based decontamination response team
in the region. In 2010, her work related to regional planning around the H1N1 virus earned
the Mitigation of the Year Award from the
Michigan Emergency Management Association.
Bulson has co-authored several professional
articles and teaches senior-level nursing students as a guest lecturer at Grand Rapids Community College and Grand Valley State University’s Kirkhof College of Nursing.
A GVSU Alumni Association board member since 2007 and board president since 2011,
Bulson helped develop and implement strategic
plans to better engage alumni and advocate on
behalf of the university through her leadership.
BRIDGET CLARK WHITNEY
Executive Director
Kids’ Food Basket
From intern to executive director, Bridget
Clark Whitney has guided the development and
growth of Kids’ Food Basket through its inception to the powerful community-driven organization it is today.
Over the last 11 years, the Grand Rapids-based
nonprofit has attacked childhood hunger by providing sack suppers to children through schools
and summer programs. Kids’ Food Basket now
provides nearly 6,000 meals every day in Grand
Rapids and Muskegon, relying on community
donations and volunteers to accomplish the
daily workload. Clark Whitney said she is proud
of the evolution and noted how she has grown,
as well, developing competencies in leadership,
strategic planning, program development and
organizational management.
In 2013, Kids’ Food Basket was awarded Excellence in Fundraising from the Association of
Fundraising Professionals, honored as Nonprofit
of the Year at WGVU’s I Have Made a Difference
Awards, and granted the Muskegon Chamber of
Commerce Agent of Change Award.
Also in 2013, Clark Whitney was recognized
by the Grand Rapids Area Chamber as the Athena Young Professional Award recipient. She has
been a featured speaker at the national, state and
local levels, presenting on anti-hunger issues,
nonprofit governance, fundraising and volunteerism. As board member and civic engagement
committee co-chair for the Michigan Nonprofit
Association, she organized the first SuperConference, convening all Michigan nonprofits last
fall in Grand Rapids. She serves as board member, fund development committee co-chair and
planning committee member for Indian Trails
Camp and on the Aquinas College Community
Leadership Advisory Council.
KATHY CROSBY
President and CEO
Goodwill Industries of Greater Grand Rapids Inc.
Since assuming leadership at Goodwill in 2007,
Kathy Crosby has grown the organization every
year, increasing revenue, strengthening the balance sheet and growing employee numbers.
As president and CEO, Crosby has overseen
the approval and sale of $7.75 million in bonds
for retail development and ensured the development of leased and built-to-suit stores in the
Greater Grand Rapids area. Through it all, Goodwill has focused on building a trusted brand of
service in the community for a great thrift shopping experience, environmental initiatives, job
creation and work-force training programs.
Crosby’s direction has led to an increase in
revenue from $20.5 million to $34 million, moving from 13 stores and one attended donation
center to 16 stores, two boutiques and seven
attended donation centers. In 2013, Crosby received the P.J. Trevethan Award from Goodwill
10 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 50 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN
Industries International for outstanding contributions in training personnel, and also accepted
the 2013 Toastmasters International Leadership
& Communication Award.
She serves on Grand Valley State University’s
Health Advisory Board, Blue Cross Blue Shield
Advisory Board, CEO Leadership Council of
Talent 2025, Grand Rapids Area Chamber’s Regional Issues Council, and on the board of directors for the Better Business Bureau of Western
Michigan and the nonprofit association for
community service providers, MARO. Crosby
develops emerging talent through MARO’s
Leadership Academy, mentors through GVSU’s
Hauenstein Center mentoring program, and is
the only woman mentor currently in the Jandernoa Entrepreneurial Program. She is a member
of the Grand Rapids Economic Club and Inforum of West Michigan.
CONGR ATUL ATES THE 50 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN
J O I N U S AS W E H O N O R A N D R ECO G N I Z E WO M E N O F
ACH I E V E M E N T A N D CO U R AG E I N H E A LT H C A R E
APRIL 22, 2014
11:45 - 1:30 – LUNCHEON & PROGRAM
JW MARRIOT T, GRAND RAPIDS
2014 WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT & COURAGE – TRILLIUM AWARD
Carol Van Andel, Executive Director, David and Carol Van Andel Foundation
2014 WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT & COURAGE IN WEST MICHIGAN HEALTH
Community – Micki Benz, Regional Vice President, Communications and Advocacy, Mercy Health
Education & Research – Marsha D. Rappley, MD, Dean, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University
Advocacy – Terese Hendricks-Pitsch, Executive Director, Migrant Legal Aid
Medical & Professional – Tammy Born Huizenga, DO, CEO, Born Preventive Health Care
For more information contact Judy Welch at jwelch@miwf.org | miwf.org
Michigan Women’s Foundation is devoted to fostering economic empowerment for the state’s women and girls through philanthropy and investment.
Girls Who Code programs
work to inspire, educate, and equip girls
with the computing skills to pursue
21st century opportunities.
THANK YOU
Kim Dabbs, Mimi Fritz, Jane Gietzen, and Birgit Klohs
for your contributions to Downtown Grand Rapids.
Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. is proud to congratulate
these members of its leadership network for their
nominations as part of the
50 Most Influential Women in West Michigan.
For more information
about Girls Who Code, visit
girlswhocode.com
50 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 11
KIM DABBS
Executive Director
West Michigan Center for Arts and Technology
Kim Dabbs is passionate about collaboration
within and among sectors, and as executive director of the West Michigan Center for Arts and
Technology, she serves the mission of creating a
culture of opportunity for people to make social
and economic progress in their lives and community.
Since 2012, Dabbs has worked with the WMCAT board to set strategic direction, with a keen
eye on stakeholder partnerships and fiscal sustainability. Previously, she spent six years leading Michigan Youth Arts in Royal Oak, where
she managed programs for 250,000 high school
students, building a statewide advocacy coalition to increase funding for youth arts education.
In 2010, Dabbs received a Joyce Fellowship
from Americans for the Arts to explore communities of color and their engagement as part of a
year-long study. A recipient of the Emerging
Leader Award from Americans for the Arts, she
also earned the Distinguished Service Award
from the Michigan Art Education Association,
the Friend of Music Education Award from the
Friend of Music Education Association, and the
Distinguished Alumni Award from Ferris University’s Kendall College of Art and Design.
Dabbs sits on the board for the Michigan
Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and for
Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park.
She serves on the Leadership Committee for
the Extended Learning Opportunities Network,
the Education Policy Committee for the Grand
Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, and Varnum’s Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council.
In 2013, she was named to the 40 Under Forty
list by the Grand Rapids Business Journal.
JEANNE ENGLEHART
Vice President of Client Relationships, The Charter Group
Interim Executive, Inforum West Michigan
A long-time Grand Rapids leader, Jeanne Englehart continues to remain at the heart of the
area’s business community despite several attempts at retirement.
She currently holds a position as vice president of client relationships for the mergers and
acquisitions firm The Charter Group. A successful entrepreneur as founder and president of
Englehart Training Centers, Englehart now provides independent consulting services to West
Michigan business owners in the areas of succession planning and valuation enhancement.
Previously, she retired from the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, where she developed an award-winning organization during
her seven years as the first female president and
CEO.
Englehart’s experience includes a host of
board and leadership positions in local and na-
tional organizations as well as a gubernatorial appointment to the State of Michigan Early
Childhood Investment Corp., a delegate to the
White House Conference on Small Business,
and working as community services director for
Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers.
Englehart most recently stepped in as interim
executive and brand ambassador for both Inforum and Inforum Center for Leadership in West
Michigan, of which she is a founding member.
She currently sits on the board and corporate
committee for the Grand Rapids Symphony and
serves Founders Bank & Trust as a member of
the board of directors, executive loan committee, and governance and compensation committee.
Among her many accolades, she was named
the 2013 Athena Award recipient by the Grand
Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce.
ELIZABETH JOY FOSSEL
Diversity and Inclusion Counsel
Varnum LLP
In 2011, Varnum appointed Elizabeth Joy Fossel
its first diversity and inclusion counsel, a position that has led her to foster greater inclusiveness throughout West Michigan and enhance
understanding of the value of diverse perspectives, backgrounds, ethnicities and experiences.
Beyond her legal work, which she offers pro
bono when needed, Fossel views diversity and
inclusion as essential for the equitable growth
of the West Michigan economy and for talent
attraction and retention in the community. To
that end, she leads a portion of the Managing
Partners Diversity Collaborative that focuses on
recruitment and is geared toward increasing the
number of minority and women lawyers in the
Grand Rapids legal community.
She spearheaded the development of the
“grabLAW” campaign, designed to attract millennials to careers here, and has led efforts to ex12 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 50 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN
pand the Grand Rapids Bar Association’s minority clerkship program by working to increase
the number of participating employers and expanding the applicant pool.
In 2013, Fossel was recognized with the
President’s Award for exemplary service by the
Grand Rapids Bar Association and with the Diversity Business Leader Award by Corp! Magazine.
In addition to her role on the board of trustees for the local bar association, she serves on
the boards for Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, Gerontology Network, Girl Scouts of
Michigan Shore to Shore, and the Kent District
Library Fund Development Board.
She also provides civic education to ninthgraders at Ottawa Hills and teaches courses at
Cooley Law School and Grand Valley State University.
CHRISTINA FREESE-DECKER
Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer
Spectrum Health
In her new position at Spectrum Health, Christina Freese-Decker is involved in setting the
strategy for the largest health care system in
West Michigan, comprised of 11 hospitals, 173
ambulatory and service sites, 960 advanced
practice providers and physicians, and 20,800
employees.
Previously, Freese-Decker was president of
Spectrum’s United and Kelsey hospitals, where
she worked to increase access to health care in
West Michigan by recruiting new physicians
and advanced practice professionals, and looked
for ways to remove barriers to care through
community health initiatives and homecare appointments. Recognizing that decisions at the
hospital directly impact the local community
and economy, she learned to be mindful of this
influence in supporting a vibrant region.
Freese-Decker joined Spectrum Health in
2002 as a fellow where she planned and implemented numerous projects, including a smokefree hospital campus and a bariatric business
plan. She also developed the business plan for
Spectrum’s affiliation with the Michigan State
University College of Human Medicine and
facilitated negotiations to bring the school to
Grand Rapids with Spectrum Health as an active partner.
Freese-Decker is president of the alumni
board of directors for the University of Iowa
Department of Health Management and Policy,
helping to raise funds for new facilities and advise on curriculum. She is also an active member
of the American College of Healthcare Executives Career Services Task Force and sits as vice
chair of the David D. Hunting YMCA board.
MIMI FRITZ
President and CEO
Grand Rapids Downtown Market
For the last two years, Mimi Fritz has focused
with single-minded determination on the construction, leasing, staffing and program development of the Grand Rapids Downtown Market.
Her leadership has resulted in a stellar success
for the community, food entrepreneurs and
Fritz, personally.
The indoor/outdoor market’s growth and vibrancy have become a model around the state
and it has garnered national attention with its
unique combination of fresh, local food paired
with a strong educational component.
Fritz is credited with successfully implementing the vision of the market, including the
latest initiative to develop an education foundation that will provide low-income patrons with
free courses, transportation, food assistance
programs and subsidized entrepreneurial opportunities for food-related businesses.
She noted that creating and managing exciting urban places has been a rewarding and
fulfilling part of her work at the market and
throughout the last 10 years.
Previously, Fritz served the city of Holland as
marketing director for its downtown and farmers market, a role in which she focused on creative, strategic marketing and event planning to
develop award-winning community and farmers market programming.
She also formerly worked as marketing and
event manager for Holland’s Tulip Time Festival, a newly created position at the time.
She lends her expertise as chair of marketing
and programming/logistics with the board for
Tulipanes Latino Art and Film Festival, and she
sits on the board of directors for Habitat for Humanity Lakeshore and A Black Dance Company
(Illinois).
FLORIZA GENAUTIS
CEO
Management Business Solutions Inc.
Floriza Genautis is the principal founder of
Management Business Solutions, a Grand Rapids-based firm providing customized solutions
for staffing and recruiting.
The highly successful agency has seen employee growth and an increase of sales, even during the downturn of the economy. Genautis said
her company is stronger now in its eighth year,
and she has plans to expand ownership within
the firm. She believes the key to her success has
been the collaboration of a dedicated and empowered team, which she assembled specifically
with future succession in mind.
A certified woman-owned and minorityowned business, Management Business Solutions employs 100 percent women/minorities,
consistently attracts skilled and diverse talent
for clients, and gives back to the community
through active participation in various organiza-
tions and passionate support for diversity and
inclusion.
Genautis is also the co-founder of Women In
Successful Enterprises, which works to foster
connections and support for businesswomen
through quarterly events and other resources.
She serves as board chair for the Women’s Resource Center and conducts site visits and application reviews as a certification council member
for the Women Business Enterprise Council –
Great Lakes. In these roles, she brings into play
more than 20 years of experience and specialization in the professional staffing industry.
Prior to calling Grand Rapids home, she recruited for well-known technology companies in
Silicon Valley. She credits her independent and
entrepreneurial ideals to her contrasting experiences growing up in Manila, Philippines, and her
immigration to the United States in 1990.
50 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 13
JANE GIETZEN
Director of Information Services
Spectrum Health
As Spectrum Health’s information services department has grown, so too has Jane Gietzen’s
role in leading and developing a team that runs
a host of daily business functions that includes
vendor and contract management, license compliance, asset and budget management, and human resources.
Her expansive responsibilities cover an operating budget of $8 million and $20 million in
capital. Under her leadership, the department
has developed a robust internship program offering 25 paid internships each summer, filled
with students from colleges throughout the
state. Besides fostering young talent, Gietzen is
an advocate for diversity and inclusion. A graduate of Leadership Grand Rapids, Leadership
West Michigan and the Institute for Healing
Racism, she points to these three programs, in
addition to her personal experiences, as signifi-
cantly influencing her perspective and rounding
out the way she thinks about issues facing the
community.
She played a key role in the inaugural Spectrum Health Jump Jam last year in partnership
with Grand Rapids Public Schools, which created a wellness opportunity for kids in a fun atmosphere. In 2012, Gietzen wrapped up a fouryear term as an elected school board member
for GRPS, having served on its finance, education, liaison and executive committees as well as
the superintendent’s succession planning team.
She continues her leadership in education as
a member of the Montessori Advisory Council
and recently joined the board for Center for
Community Leadership. She has served four
years with the Downtown Development Authority, including involvement in the initial planning
to create Downtown Grand Rapids Inc.
MEG GOEBEL
President and CEO
Paul Goebel Group
In 1994, Meg Goebel decided to purchase her
father’s insurance agency and has never looked
back.
As president of the Paul Goebel Group, she
has developed a dedicated team of insurance
professionals who have contributed significantly to the company’s strong growth. The
firm provides approximately 50,000 lawyers,
CPAs, engineers and key business professionals
throughout Michigan with comprehensive insurance solutions and was a finalist for the 2013
Grand Rapids Business Journal’s Top Women
Owned Business award in the $1.5 million to
$3.99 million revenue category.
Noted for her energetic enthusiasm in the insurance industry and community at large, Goebel is clearly proud of the small business, founded
in 1932, that has allowed her to contribute both
time and treasure back to the West Michigan
community.
Goebel is the former board chair of the Grand
Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, which she
still serves as a board member. Her list of industry and community leadership has included
work with Broadway Grand Rapids, Davenport
University Foundation, Planned Parenthood
Centers of West and Northern Michigan, Michigan Chamber of Commerce, Economic Club of
Grand Rapids and YWCA Center for Women.
She is also the former president of the American Institute of Professional Association Group
Insurance Administrators and the Mid-American Association of Group Administrators, and
she assists Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
as a current member of its Business Advisory
Board.
CYNTHIA HAVARD
COO and CFO
Cole’s Quality Foods Inc.
Cynthia Havard holds two vital roles in the success of Cole’s Quality Foods Inc. while working
in a world traditionally dominated by men.
During her tenure, the company has grown
from $25 million to $75 million, a magnitude
of growth that creates opportunities as well as
challenges for the chief financial officer. Known
for its frozen garlic bread and toast, the Michigan-based baker distributes products throughout the eastern half of the United States and to
selected markets in the Southwest and West.
Havard views herself as a role model for other
young women in West Michigan and proudly
points to her progression through the ranks
from staff accountant to principal tax advisory
in entrepreneurial services at Ernst & Young
LLP and then her 1995 transition to her current
position at Cole’s.
14 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 50 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN
She seeks to be actively involved with organizations making a positive impact in the community. Most recently, she’s filled leadership
roles as vice chair of the board at Porter Hills
Retirement Communities and as chair of the
executive leadership team for American Heart
Association Go Red for Women. She currently
sits on the finance committees for Gerontology
Network and YMCA Governing Board.
Havard previously lent her talents to the
Huntington Women’s Advisory Board and the
boards of the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of
Commerce, The Right Place and Family Owned
Business Council.
Her honors include being an Athena Award
finalist in 2005, Inforum Inner Circle in 2009,
and one of GRBJ’s 50 Most Influential Women
in West Michigan in 2010.
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MARY K. HOODHOOD
Founder
Kids’ Food Basket
No one questions the vision Mary K. Hoodhood
brought to the table when she founded Kids’
Food Basket in 2001. She first conceived of the
idea to provide children with sack suppers after
hearing the story of a young girl who rummaged
for food in the trash for her evening meal.
Since then, she has inspired and led Kids’
Food Basket in a myriad of ways. She is the past
chair and a current member of the board and
volunteers 30 hours each week for the nonprofit, concentrating her efforts on public relations
and fund development. She remains tenacious
in giving adults and children alike the opportunity to become involved in eradicating childhood hunger in West Michigan.
Despite a traumatic car accident that left her
a quadriplegic in 1980, Hoodhood has shown a
“can-do attitude” that encourages and motivates
others. She has gone on to complete a master’s
degree in social work, work full time as manager of volunteer services at God’s Kitchen and
found Kids’ Food Basket.
She serves as board vice president for Indian
Trails Camp and is a board member for Michigan Community Quality Care and the Center for
Independent Living.
She also advises the city of Grand Rapids and
Kent County Juvenile Court on behalf of citizens with disabilities.
Hoodhood’s many honors include the Invest
in Ability Award, Art Van Hope Award, Celebration of Soul – Dr. Malinda P. Sapp Legacy Award,
U.S. Presidential Citizens Medal and YWCA
Tribute Award.
SHELLEY IRWIN
Host and Producer
WGVU NPR/PBS
Shelley Irwin is a woman about town and wellknown as the voice and face of Grand Rapids’
public broadcasting at Grand Valley State University’s Eberhard Center.
She is host and producer of “The WGVU
Morning Show” with the West Michigan NPR
affiliate and hosts several PBS programs including “Family Health Matters,” “Ask the Expert”
and “Community Connection.”
As a journalist and talk show host, Irwin
shines the spotlight on many worthy people,
organizations, activities and events. She freely
shares her enthusiasm and energies by participating in a host of committees, boards, civic
events and other volunteer opportunities, all
while training for and competing in several races and triathlons each year.
Irwin currently serves the boards of the
Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce,
Press Club of Grand Rapids, Mind Meets Music, Alternatives in Motion and Girl Scouts of
Michigan Shore to Shore. She has blazed a trail
as the first female president in 80 years of the
Grand Rapids Lions Club and the third female
president of the University Club in 90 years.
An advocate for women, she contributes to
the committees of the Athena Award Program,
Michigan Women’s Foundation, Habitat for Humanity Women Build, Gazelle Girls Half Marathon, American Heart Association Go Red for
Women, and Women and Girls Lead.
Her honors include five consecutive American Women in Radio and Television Gracie Allen Awards for Outstanding Program Host. In
2013, she was named the West Michigan PRSA
Media Person of the Year and the Face of GR.
JENNIFER JURGENS
Executive Director
Susan G. Komen West Michigan
Jennifer Jurgens combines her professional experience and personal passion in her position as
leader of Susan G. Komen West Michigan, the
local affiliate covering Kent, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo and Ottawa counties.
Since youth, she has been deeply affected by
breast cancer, Jurgens said, so she is fervent
about early detection and dedicated to finding
a cure. As executive director and a breast cancer
survivor herself, she fights for those affected by
breast cancer and breathes new life into the organization. Since joining Susan G. Komen in late
2012, Jurgens has restructured the organization,
launched a five-county campaign sharing local
breast cancer survival stories, and planned their
“Sweet 16” Race for the Cure.
As the spokesperson for the affiliate organization on both the national and local levels, she is
responsible for bringing information on breast
16 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 50 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN
cancer research, national and global developments and resources back to West Michigan.
Her prior position was as the vice president
of sales and marketing at a software company
where she provided consulting to companies
like Konica Minolta, HON, The American Heart
Association, Safety-Kleen and others.
Jurgens actively serves on the boards for West
Michigan Multi-Sport Racing, which hosts the
Millennium Triathlon benefiting regional organizations serving children, and TEDxGrand
Rapids, where she was co-organizer, speaker
and selected representative of West Michigan at
the 2013 TEDx Global Summit in Qatar.
Jurgens also is a founding member of aimWest, served the cabinet for LaughFest, and has
spoken at Gilda’s Club, TEDxMuskegon, and
Mercy Health Saint Mary’s on the topic of breast
cancer and young survivorship.
CYNTHIA KAY
President and CEO
Cynthia Kay and Co.
After a dozen years in the broadcasting business as anchor, host and producer, Cynthia Kay
founded her own media production company.
Her firm, Cynthia Kay and Co., produces
high-quality communications used nationally
and internationally. Over the years, the company earned recognition as a Top Woman-Owned
Business by GRBJ, Small Business of the Year
by the Grand Rapids Area Chamber, a Corp!
Magazine Michigan Diversity Business Leader
honoree, and one of the 101 Best and Brightest
Companies to Work For in West Michigan.
Kay holds more than 30 broadcast awards,
several Addy and Telly awards, and multiple
listings on the Business Journal’s 50 Most Influential Women. Her recently published book
from Career Press — titled “Small Business for
Big Thinkers: Unconventional Strategies to
Connect With and Win Big Business” — offers
business strategies learned from her own experience on how to run and grow a small business.
As a small business owner, Kay said she has
been a passionate spokesperson for small business on a national level. She is a board member
of the National Small Business Association,
serves as chair of three political action committees for the Small Business Association of Michigan (in addition to past board chair), and blogs
about small business for TheCEO Magazine.
Kay continues to sit on the advisory board for
the marketing department at Grand Valley State
University’s Seidman College of Business as
well as a steering committee for a new initiative
at GROW aimed at programming for accomplished women business owners.
LESLIE KING
Chairman and Founder
Sacred Beginnings Women’s Transitional Program
Leslie King is a true unsung hero and a survivor of what she calls “modern day slavery.” She
uses her own personal story, which entails being coerced into prostitution at the age of 15 and
subsequently enduring more than 20 years of
human trafficking in Grand Rapids, to shed light
on the local street scene and to reach out and
empower those affected by sex trafficking.
In the eight years since she founded Sacred
Beginnings Women’s Transitional Program,
King has rescued or served the needs of more
than 400 prostituted women in the Grand Rapids area, providing them with the means to escape victimization and lead educated and productive lives.
Although her work often goes unseen and unrecognized, she has been changing lives through
intense advocacy on behalf of sex victims and
her caring, intentional work with the women
and girls trapped into working the streets. She
is working toward a systematic recognition that
the real lawbreakers are the pimps and johns
who solicit the women and enforce the indentured lifestyle. She regularly informs law enforcement and policy makers about human trafficking in their own backyards.
King sits on the committee for the Michigan
Human Trafficking Task Force, is president of
the Kent County Recovery Housing Coalition,
and chairs the board for Sacred Beginnings in
addition to running the all-volunteer organization. A strong advocate of higher education as
part of rehabilitation, she is now pursuing a
master’s degree in social work at Grand Valley
State University.
BIRGIT KLOHS
President and CEO
The Right Place Inc.
Simply stated, few other women in West Michigan have done more to impact the long-term
economic growth of the region than Birgit Klohs.
As president and CEO of regional economic
development organization The Right Place since
1987, Klohs is responsible for marketing Greater Grand Rapids to an international audience.
Through her knowledge of the area’s business
community, assets and unique strengths, she has
been instrumental in the retention, expansion
and attraction of businesses to West Michigan.
The Right Place has spurred more than $2.5 billion in capital investment and encouraged the
creation of more than 37,000 jobs under her
leadership.
A native of Germany who speaks three languages, Klohs has led numerous trade missions
and private gubernatorial business trips to Europe, the Far East and Israel as the state’s leading
international economic development specialist.
Most recently, she worked to convene and lead a
13-county economic development collaborative
never accomplished before in West Michigan’s
history. She said her vision for this new collaborative potentially poises West Michigan to become a leading economic region in the Midwest.
Klohs is a frequent speaker on economic development at national and international conferences. Active in many local and statewide activities, she currently serves on many boards and
advisory councils, including Macatawa Bank,
ADAC Automotive, Kent County Aeronautics,
Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce,
Van Andel Public Museum, Grand Action Executive Committee, Kent County/Grand Rapids
Convention and Arena Authority, Downtown
Grand Rapids Inc. and Michigan Israel Business
Bridge.
50 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 17
DENISE KOLESAR
President
Kohler Expos Inc.
When Denise Kolesar started her own expo
business in 1998, she had little idea that 16 years
later she’d be running five women-centered
events annually covering the West Michigan
and the Mid-Michigan markets.
What began in 1999 as a small show for consumers has become a much-anticipated event,
and today the three-day West Michigan Women’s Expo attracts 17,000 people to downtown
Grand Rapids annually.
Kohler Expos also produces several successful bridal shows each year, has revitalized
the Alpha Women’s Center charity event with
mom-to-mom sales, and is developing another
brand new event focusing on kids and family.
Kolesar said her goal has been to create events
that support women by blending education
with entertainment and enjoyment.
The growth of Kohler Expos signals the
strength of a business model that has seen a
doubling of sales. The expos have proven a
testing ground and incubator for many female
entrepreneurs and those offering women-oriented products and services. Kolesar is pleased
to note that dozens of products have debuted
at her shows, offering opportunities for businesses to meet face-to-face with potential clients and fine-tune their messages before going
on to success in the wider marketplace. Kohler
Expos currently employs up to 50 seasonal
workers and has donated more than $350,000
to women- and family-focused nonprofits since
its inception.
Kolesar was recognized as a finalist for the
Alliance of Women Entrepreneurs Leadership
Award in 2013 and has been listed three times as
a Top Women-Owned Business by Grand Rapids Business Journal.
CINDY LOCKLIN
President and CEO
Busy Bea’s Services Inc.
Cindy Locklin considers herself a connector
of people and businesses. She aims to have her
commercial cleaning company be one that mentors and leads through action, setting an example of how to take care of employees, customers
and even the planet.
Although Busy Bea’s Services Inc. started in
2000 as a residential cleaning company, Locklin
sold the residential services portion in 2004 to
focus exclusively on the fast-growing commercial janitorial and medical side of the business.
With a staff of 60 in 2013, the firm has experienced 160 percent growth.
An outspoken leader on small business issues,
sustainability and corporate social responsibility, Locklin proudly notes the company’s growth
has enabled her to provide health care coverage
for all of her full-time employees.
Additionally, Locklin has committed to
business decisions about purchases, process and
procedures at Busy Bea’s that put the cleaning
company firmly in the “green category” for sustainability practices. A board member for West
Michigan Sustainable Business Forum, she has
created business partnerships with other green
companies and has written about and been interviewed on the subject of sustainability.
Locklin encourages her employees to give
back to the community by reimbursing several
hours of volunteer time. The company has sponsored GROW for young women entrepreneurs,
the Grand River clean up, AIDSwalk, Health
Homes, Legal Aid and chamber events.
Locklin has earned status as a Top WomenOwned Business by GRBJ, an EPIC Award Winner for Women-Owned Business of the Year,
and Entrepreneur of Distinction in Michigan
from Corp! Magazine.
AMY MARSHALL
Managing Partner
Management Business Solutions
In the last five years, Amy Marshall has demonstrated herself to be a highly motivated individual who strives for excellence both personally
and professionally.
Since joining Management Business Solutions in February 2009 as a part-time recruiting
assistant during the economic downturn, Marshall has proven her resourcefulness and passion for finding qualified professionals to meet
client needs and staffing requirements.
Fast-tracked during her first year to a lead recruiter role, Marshall put in hours of hard work
toward learning the business as she pursued a
unique opportunity to be part of the Five-Year
Employee Ownership Plan. She has been able
to build a successful team of committed recruiters, develop a thriving internship program, and
gain the trust of long-lasting repeat clients. She
expects to be officially onboard as a part-owner
18 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 50 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN
of Management Business Solutions in February
2014 and looks forward to growing the business
and working to attract and retain talent in West
Michigan.
Marshall also continues to serve as an inspiration for other young professionals, giving
back to the Grand Rapids community and serving on many boards and committees. Among
them, she counts current service as the youngest board secretary ever for the American Red
Cross, where she also has co-chaired its largest
fundraiser for the past three years, raising more
than $150,000.
She is also board secretary and events chair
for the West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of
Commerce and also has joined the advisory
board for Grand Rapids Young Professionals
after four years of board leadership for the organization.
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50 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 19
2/7/14 9:10 AM
JANET MASON
President and General Manager
WZZM 13/Gannett
Among her many notable achievements, Janet
Mason can point to successfully leading the
charge to transform Grand Rapids’ local ABC
affiliate, WZZM 13, into a buzzing multi-media
operation designed for the digital era.
Since 1997, she has overseen the development
of additional TV newscasts, the launch of a 24/7
local weather channel, the creation of community lifestyle program “Take Five & Company,”
and the evolution of online news sites and mobile apps. Today, the entire staff at WZZM 13 is
cross-trained for the digital age, and the company has expanded to offer additional services
like search engine optimization and marketing,
social media campaigns and online reputation
monitoring. All this, and Mason brought back
the iconic Grand Rapids weather ball, too.
Outside the four walls of business, Mason
shares her leadership skills with the community, industry and early-career professionals.
She is active on the board of governors for the
ABC Television Affiliates Association and on the
boards for the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of
Commerce and Davenport University Foundation.
She previously served six years as vice chair
for the Gannett Leadership and Diversity Council, and she served the boards and executive
committees of the Economic Club and YMCA of
Greater Grand Rapids.
A returning 50 Most Influential Woman of
West Michigan, Mason has also been recognized as a finalist for Gannett Manager of the
Year, as an Inforum Inner Circle honoree, and
recipient of the Amazing Asian Award from the
Asian Center of West Michigan.
JENNIFER MAXSON
Practice Group Leader, Relationship Manager and Coach
Varnum Consulting
For the last eight years, Jennifer Maxson has
led the strategic direction and organizational
management of Varnum Consulting as practice
group leader and relationship manager. She also
has continued to design and deliver customized
coaching, executive-level coaching, and group
training for clients throughout Michigan and
across the United States.
Under her leadership, Varnum Consulting
continues to grow, attracting clients in all industries and working to enhance the credibility
of leaders through a tradition of excellence in
leadership development. Last year was a particularly notable year, Maxson said, pointing to
mounting statewide speaking engagements and
several large client requests for consulting on
sales and marketing.
Maxson said her coaching focuses on helping
internal and external leaders communicate with
impact to influence others. Within the Grand
Rapids community, Maxson takes an active role
as a connector between leaders and organizations and enjoys helping to create a legacy of
leaders for the future. She said she is honored to
watch clients grow in their careers and advance
in their organizations, especially the emerging
leaders she witnesses go on to become key players in the community.
Her community leadership includes serving
as board vice chair for the Wolverine Worldwide
Family YMCA, chair and past marketing and recruitment chair for Leadership West Michigan,
and a member of Huntington Women’s Advisory
Board.
Since 2010, Maxson has mentored through
the Hauenstein Center Cook Leadership Academy at Grand Valley State University, and she
joined the Van Andel J-Board in 2009.
PEACHES MCCAHILL
President
The McCahill Group
For more than 25 years, Peaches McCahill has
demonstrated leadership in the field of sports,
fitness and wellness.
Having founded The McCahill Group in 1986,
she has a proven track record of designing, developing and operating profitable health and fitness programs and spas in both corporate and
private environments. The McCahill Group services are effective in creating a culture of health
within companies that result in healthier people
and health care savings for employers.
At age 26, McCahill designed, created and
managed her first wellness center for Steelcase.
Now, her company employs more than 65 talented professionals, many of whom are women.
McCahill said she sees her role as a business
owner to help her employees reach their full
potential.
20 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 50 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN
Besides being an entrepreneur, McCahill
considers herself a philanthropist and health
and fitness activist. Last fall, she was elected the
first female board chair for the Michigan Fitness Foundation. She is serving her third term
on the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness,
Health and Sports, an organization that aims
to increase physical activity among Michigan’s
residents.
McCahill was previously involved in the early
days of Relay for Life for the American Cancer
Society and was a founding member of Gilda’s
Club.
Today, she co-chairs the capital campaign
for Boys & Girls Club Grand Rapids, chairs the
scholarship fund in honor of her late husband
Ray, and promotes entrepreneurial mentorship
among the Jandernoa Ambassadors.
Grand Valley State University
congratulates our alumni and faculty
and staff members who have been
named to Grand Rapids Business
Journal’s list of the “50 most
influential women in West Michigan.”
Their leadership and accomplishments
positively impact our region, and
are examples of how Grand Valley
Julie Bulson, 1997 & 2007
Shelley Irwin, WGVU NPR/PBS
Jennifer Jurgens, 2003
Jennifer Maxson, 1994
Michelle Rabideau, 1993
Mandee Rick, 1997 & 2004
Ginny Seyferth, 1983
Kathleen Vogelsang, 1995 & 1999
Beverly Wall, 1987
Chris Willis, 1983
Shannon Wilson, 2003 & 2005
is fulfilling its mission of educating
students to shape their lives,
professions, and societies.
gvsu.edu | (616) 331-5000
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50 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 21
MARY MCLOUGHLIN
Principal/Owner
McLoughlin Communications & Public Relations
Mary McLoughlin is an award-winning public
relations/communicator turned expert fundraiser.
She started her communications and public relations firm in 1993 and during the last 20
years has had the opportunity to work with literally every hospital in West Michigan as well
as others throughout the state. Her experience
includes consulting for major health insurers,
local nonprofit organizations and for-profit companies on everything from marketing strategies
to corporate and public communications.
Particularly skilled at sorting through thorny
or complicated issues, McLoughlin prides herself on earning numerous Gold PRoof Awards
from West Michigan Public Relations Society of
America, two of which were “Best of Show.”
She has found time to serve on various boards
for local and statewide organizations, often con-
tributing to fundraising and public relations
efforts. Her fund development successes and
board involvement eventually led her to pursue
certification as a professional fundraiser, and
since then, she has assisted her clients more fully
with their development efforts.
For the past decade, she has volunteered for
the board of the Children’s Assessment Center, increasing fundraising by 30 percent while
chairing the development committee over the
last seven years. She also sits on the development committee as a board member for Frederik
Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. In addition to
serving the Michigan Women’s Foundation as
board secretary, McLoughlin was instrumental
in creating the Power of 100 Women that has
provided additional fund stability by attracting
nearly 200 women who pledge five years of annual contributions.
RACHEL MRAZ
Wealth Management Advisor
Merrill Lynch
Rachel Mraz leads through example, both in her
financial acumen professionally and through her
commitment to philanthropy and community
service.
As wealth management advisor for Merrill
Lynch, Mraz endeavors to fulfill a family legacy
by serving the individuals she works for at the
DeVries, Freeburg & Mraz Group. She takes
great pleasure in assisting with clients’ financial
planning and portfolio management, and has
attained several professional designations and
certifications requiring rigorous testing, ongoing
education and adherence to high ethical standards.
Mraz is also a passionate philanthropist who
has spearheaded local and national initiatives to
inspire the next generation of philanthropists
to get involved. In 2010, she and her husband
successfully completed a project to raise funds
and break ground for a new building at an AIDS
orphanage in Zimbabwe, an experience Mraz
found helped her develop an even deeper appreciation for the philanthropic community in
West Michigan. More recently, she visited Costa
Rica through her global philanthropy and has
formed a giving group to connect West Michigan
resources in an effort to provide sand-based water filters to Earth University and the local communities there.
Mraz sits on the boards and committees of
the Family Business Alliance, Equest Center
for Therapeutic Riding, Davenport University
Foundation and Saint Mary’s Doran Foundation. She also co-chairs the Van Andel Institute
J-Board Ambassadors. Mraz was the inaugural
Youth Trustee for the Council of Michigan Foundations board of directors, where she continues
to chair the investment committee.
PEGGY MURPHY
Shareholder
Hungerford Nichols CPAs + Advisors
With 32 years in the tax preparation and advisory business and a regular guest expert spot for
WOOD Radio’s “Morning News Show,” Peggy
Murphy is a Grand Rapids business star in her
own right.
She joined Hungerford Nichols CPAs + Advisors in 1995 and is one of seven shareholders
who own and manage the second-largest locally
owned CPA firm in West Michigan, which employs approximately 70 people in Grand Rapids and Greenville. Murphy serves closely held
and family-owned businesses in West Michigan
with a passion for keeping these companies
healthy, focusing on the areas of taxation and
assisting business owners in achieving greater
profitability and meeting their goals.
Her expertise is relied upon by company
decision-makers on issues such as purchasing or selling, adding or retiring owners, han22 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 50 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN
dling real estate transactions, downsizing and
growing, obtaining financing, succession planning and tax issues after life-changing events.
Murphy has been called upon to provide litigation support on financial data and exhibits and
offer expert witness testimony. She regularly
presents technical topics in client seminars and
association meetings in addition to her radio
and TV appearances.
In 2013, Murphy received the Alliance of
Women Entrepreneurs Leadership Award and
accepted the chair position overseeing a new
sustainability division at GROW. She has recently joined the board of directors for Grand River
Bank and supports Grand Rapids Civic Theatre
as treasurer of the board and finance committee
chair. She is a past president of the Grand Rapids Economic Development Corp. and Alliance
of Women Entrepreneurs boards.
BONNIE NAWARA
CEO
Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women
Bonnie Nawara readily concedes she has been
given an incredible opportunity to develop and
expand the entrepreneurial resources available
for women-owned businesses, one that dovetails nicely with her skill set and community
connections, setting her up to have a direct impact on the economic vitality of the Grand Rapids community.
As CEO of Grand Rapids Opportunities for
Women for the past three years, Nawara has
revamped and expanded entrepreneurial trainings to better reflect today’s learning styles and
time constraints, and she has deepened the organization’s outreach within the business community. Those efforts have included the addition
of second-stage business services, the launch of
a micro-lending program for the region, and the
development of strong alliances with the Hispanic Chamber of West Michigan, LINC and the
South East Neighborhood Association.
A former business owner, Nawara cut her
teeth in three different career lives, two of
which were in nontraditional industries for females: as a parts manager for a freight company
and as owner of a printing franchise. Nawara
later spent six years as planned giving officer
for the American Cancer Society, where she was
named top fundraiser in the Great Lakes division five years running.
Nawara’s accomplishments include being the
first female board member of the Golden K Kiwanis Club, founder of a Toastmasters chapter,
and leadership positions with Heart of West
Michigan United Way, Economic Club of Grand
Rapids, The Alliance of Women Entrepreneurs,
Michigan Women’s Foundation, Kent County
Silent Observer and Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce.
AMY PROOS
CEO and Owner
Proos Manufacturing Inc./Proos Fabrication Inc.
Amy Proos prides herself on honesty, and that
trait has proven crucial to the survival, revival
and growth of Proos Manufacturing Inc.
In January 2009, she was in the midst of completing the purchase of Proos Manufacturing
from her father when sales were down 70 percent during one of the worst recessions in years.
Her solution: initiate a business plan and budget
full of painful-but-necessary cuts, then communicate openly and honestly with employees. Ultimately, Proos had to slash staff from 70 to 33,
reduce work hours and eliminate bonuses. She
did not take a salary for several months and continued operating presses on the shop floor when
headcounts were low.
By the end of 2009, however, her tough decisions paid off with several profitable months,
allowing her to complete her purchase in 2010.
Since then, Proos Manufacturing has rebounded to 84 employees and she has opened a sister
company, Proos Fabrication.
Combined sales of the two businesses now
total $13 million.
In 2013, Proos was honored for the amazing turnaround with the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in Michigan and
Northwest Ohio. She has also been recognized
as a Michigan 50 Companies to Watch, several
Small Employer of the Year awards, the Urban
Entrepreneurship Award, and as Enterprising
Woman of the Year.
She volunteers with GROW and other organizations, and she actively supports work-force
diversity through Goodwill Industries Power of
Work program, offering job opportunities for all
levels of abilities.
MICHELLE RABIDEAU
President
Saint Mary’s Foundation
Michelle Rabideau is committed to the betterment of the community.
Over the past decade, she has led the overall
fundraising efforts for the Saint Mary’s Foundation, the charitable arm of Mercy Health Saint
Mary’s. Under her leadership, the organization
has raised more than $65 million in support of
additional programs such as the Mercy Health
Hauenstein Neurosciences Center and Sophia’s
House, the newly built guest house for patients
and their families.
She is proud of the services provided by the
programs made possible by the foundation’s
philanthropic efforts and notes that the everchanging health care landscape means the role
of philanthropy will be increasingly important in
impacting the overall health of the community.
Rabideau advocates for encouraging younger
individuals to find organizations with missions
they believe in and then getting them involved
in volunteering and leadership roles. In addition,
she is a strong believer in mentoring individuals,
particularly women, in their career and community service choices. She meets almost weekly
with people who have been referred, reviewing
résumés and helping make connections to foster
career opportunities.
As an invested community trustee, Rabideau
has been elected to the East Grand Rapids Public
Schools Board of Education, where she currently serves as president. She also sits on the boards
for the Michigan Women’s Foundation, the National Kappa Delta Foundation and the Health
Care Advisory Board for the Philanthropy Leadership Council.
In 2013, she was honored with the Benjamin
Franklin Outstanding Fundraising Professional
Award.
50 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 23
MANDEE RICK
Senior Vice President and Portfolio Management Team Leader
Huntington Bank
As senior vice president and portfolio management team leader, Mandee Rick oversees a
group of 11 portfolio managers and credit analysts at Huntington Bank who work with significant loan portfolios for companies with annual
revenues from $25 million and up. She took on
the commercial banking leadership role last
year after nearly 12 years at Huntington Bank
and an additional three years elsewhere in the
financial services industry.
In 2010, Rick helped implement an internal mentoring program through Huntington’s
Women Initiative Committee, designed to provide opportunity for high-potential individuals within the bank to learn more about career
paths available to them, an all-volunteer effort by a small group of colleagues that she
continues to chair. Rick said she finds great satisfaction in the successes of her team and the individuals she has managed or mentored over the
years, and sees helping others reach their goals
as a primary role for her within the bank.
She also hopes to inspire others to find ways
to get involved in and give back to the community. She volunteers for the auction committee
for the American Heart Association’s Go Red for
Women event and the host committee for Saint
Mary’s Doran Foundation Up on the Roof event.
For the last three years, Rick has been event
chair for the American Cancer Society’s Relay
for Life in Grand Rapids, reaching a $100,000
fundraising goal in 2013. Other involvement includes the Grand Rapids Young Professionals
Advisory Board and Davenport Alumni Board.
MARY ELLEN RODGERS
National Managing Partner of Workplace Services
Deloitte LLP
It is hard to sum up Mary Ellen Rodgers’ influence locally and on the national stage. Not only
does she oversee all workplace services operations in the U.S. and India offices for Deloitte
LLP, but she also has direct responsibility for
more than 2,900 Deloitte employees across
more than 100 offices and holds a significant
portion of the entire U.S. operations and assets
under her care.
Rodgers is a dynamic leader and role model
who mentors the next generation of professionals, provides visibility to the issues facing
women and minorities in the work force, and
champions change in business and social environments.
In the early ’90s, Rodgers created a new national culture of diversity and inclusion at Deloitte by establishing the case for diversity and
setting the foundation for the firm to eliminate
its gender turnover gap and enjoy a 500 percent
increase in women partners, principals and directors.
The third woman in more than 100 years to be
appointed to office managing partner in 2000,
Rodgers tripled revenues and increased client
satisfaction scores for the Grand Rapids office.
She continues to shape national strategic direction and leads the design and implementation of
Deloitte’s Next Generation Workplace initiative
that is creating more open, collaborative and
productive work environments.
Rodgers has held many positions of responsibility among community organizations, including founding member of Huntington Bank’s
Women’s Initiative Advisory Board, first woman
board chair for the YMCA of Greater Grand
Rapids and ArtPrize board and finance committee member.
RAQUEL SALAS
Attorney and Managing Member
Avanti Law Group PLLC
A well-rounded attorney and a co-founding
partner of Avanti Law Group, Raquel Salas is a
self-described business-savvy Dominican immigrant with a knack for client development and
negotiation.
Together with her partners, she has built a
fast-growing law firm with a heart of gold, taking on pro bono legal work and making financial
investments in the community. Named one of
Michigan Super Lawyer’s Rising Stars in 2013,
Salas claims launching and growing Avanti without incurring any debt is her greatest achievement, and impressively, the three-person team
has taken Avanti from zero to a multimillion
dollar per year business in under three years.
Today, the woman- and minority-owned fullservice law firm offers legal representation to
businesses and individuals on a wide range of issues from corporate to family and immigration
24 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 50 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN
law. Salas proudly points to the firm’s efforts to
successfully end discriminatory practices when
county clerks were refusing to issue marriage licenses to immigrants.
In 2011, Avanti was named a top womanowned law firm in West Michigan, and Salas received a Corp! Magazine award for Outstanding
Leadership in Diversity and Multiculturalism in
Michigan.
Her true penchant, however, seems to be
starting new organizations. She co-founded and
then served as the first board president of the
Michigan State University Hispanic Law Society to enhance the quality of education, extracurricular activities and cultural awareness of
law students. Her latest endeavor is the formation of Super Kids Together, where she is developing a new board to set goals and establish the
organization.
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GINNY SEYFERTH
President
SeyferthPR
This year, Ginny Seyferth is celebrating 30 years
in business with her award-winning public relations firm, SeyferthPR.
She founded the company in 1984 after beginning her career in corporate and nonprofit
health care public relations and public affairs.
Over the years, Seyferth has brought extensive
strategic counsel experience to her Michiganbased agency. Today, SeyferthPR employs 26,
operates with a $2.6 million budget and is recognized as one of the Midwest’s leading public
relations firms.
Seyferth has counseled some of America’s top
executives and companies, including Blue Cross
Blue Shield of Michigan, Huntington Bank,
Perrigo, Mercy Health Partners, Cascade Engineering, Grand Valley State University, Amway
Grand Plaza Hotel Group and others. She is one
of just a handful of PR experts to have served 25
years as counsel to McDonald’s restaurants and
as a member of its test-market team for product
launches.
Seyferth has cultivated an extensive knowledge of the millennial generation and provides
cities with a deeper understanding of how to attract and retain young talent. She currently lends
her expertise on the topic to TALENT 2025 as a
member of the board and executive committee.
She also leads committees and chairs the
boards of the Economic Club of Grand Rapids
and Goodwill Industries of Greater Grand Rapids Inc.
Seyferth is a founding member of the board
for Ronald McDonald House Charities and previously served the Grand Rapids Art Museum
board, Grand Valley State University Foundation
board, TEDxGrand Rapids Advisory Team and
Huntington Bank Women’s Advisory Board.
AMNA SEIBOLD
Mayor, East Grand Rapids
Director of Pathology, Mercy Health Saint Mary’s
Amna Seibold may be the only woman mayor in
the county right now, but she is on a mission to
see more women in public office and wants to
see a more gender-balanced governmental representation.
Seibold proudly holds two leadership positions as mayor of East Grand Rapids and director of pathology at Mercy Health Saint Mary’s.
Her public service began in 2000 as city planning commissioner, and she first ran for office in
2005 when she was elected city commissioner.
Now as mayor, she serves as head of a city with
national recognition as a great place to live and
raise a family, and she points to the city’s balanced budget and AAA bond rating as a sign of
continued excellence.
At Mercy Health Saint Mary’s, Seibold manages the pathology laboratory, running approxi-
mately 2 million tests annually and staffing 105
employees who take pride in delivering highquality testing for physician diagnosis and patient care. She is also the project manager for
the new 100,000-square-foot building being
constructed in Rockford to house Mercy Health
Physician Partners.
Seibold is active in the community, serving in
such capacities as an appointment by Gov. Rick
Snyder to the State Board of Accountancy, board
member for The Rapid, and past board chair for
Michigan Blood.
She is a member of the West Michigan host
committee for the Michigan State University
Political Leadership Program, where she works
to recruit, train and inspire tomorrow’s public
policy leaders and prepare them for effective
governance.
DIANA SIEGER
President
Grand Rapids Community Foundation
For nearly 27 years, Diana Sieger has led, served
and fostered philanthropic and community
initiatives in Kent County as president of the
Grand Rapids Community Foundation.
Through the foundation’s permanent endowment covering assets of more than $300 million, Sieger’s team of 26 employees fulfill the
nonprofit’s mission to lead the community and
strengthen the lives of its people.
Recent work includes creation of the Challenge Scholars program that assures students
who graduate from Grand Rapids Public
Schools’ Union High School have the needed
funding and educational support to pursue
a college degree. The first class of Challenge
Scholars will graduate in 2020, and while Sieger
admits it’s not the Kalamazoo Promise, it is the
largest effort the foundation has ever undertaken and will assist many students in affording
26 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 50 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN
higher education.
This month, Sieger will accept the Diversity
Visionary Award from the Grand Rapids Area
Chamber of Commerce on behalf of the foundation in recognition of its commitment to and
sustained efforts toward creating a community
and a community foundation that is diverse, inclusive and racism-free.
Sieger has received many accolades, including, in 2013, the Edward Frey Sr. Distinguished
Achievement Award from Junior Achievement
of West Michigan. She also was honored by the
Michigan Women’s Foundation with the Woman of Achievement and Courage Award.
She sits on committees and boards of the
Council on Foundations and Kent County Family and Children’s Coordinating Council, and is
a member of the non-partisan Office of Foundation Liaison within the governor’s office.
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50 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 27
SARA SMOLENSKI
Chief Judge
63rd District Court
A native of Grand Rapids, Judge Sara Smolenski
was first appointed to the 63rd District Court of
the Michigan Supreme Court in 1996 and has
been re-elected every six years since.
Smolenski has earned a reputation among
peers as a distinguished judge and a proven
strong community leader. She has spent countless hours outside the courtroom as a legal advocate, contributor and activist for nonprofit
groups and organizations.
In particular, Smolenski is a strong advocate
for education, believing it not only improves
lives but also the community. Her community
service includes serving on the boards of the
American Cancer Society, the Kent County Literacy Council, Resources Against Violent Encounters to Women, Mental Health Foundation
of West Michigan, Kids’ Food Basket, YWCA,
Hospice of Michigan, Michigan Women’s Foun-
dation and Senior Neighbors.
A frequent speaker for charitable organizations and civic and community groups, Smolenski has established herself as a popular local humorist showcasing her unique “real life” humor.
She is the former chair of the Michigan Judicial Conference as well as former president of
both the Women Lawyers Association of West
Michigan and Michigan District Judges Association. She earned the Grand Rapids Bar Association’s Donald R. Worsfold Distinguished Service
Award in 2013 and the Jean King Leadership
Award in 2012 from the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan.
Other accolades include the YWCA Tribute
Award, the Grand Rapids Chamber’s Athena
Award, and the Salute to Women Award from
Grand Rapids Community College several years
running.
SANDRA FROST STEENSMA
President
Parrish Consulting
Sandra Frost Steensma is president and founder
of Parrish Consulting, a nonprofit consulting
business specializing in annual fundraising, capacity building and endowment fundraising.
She brings more than 20 years of experience
to the consulting table, having worked at another regional firm for eight years before founding Parrish Consulting. Previously, she served
as statewide corporate director of development
for Hospice of Michigan and executive director
of its Grand Rapids office. In 2008, Steensma
was named a member of the prestigious Kellogg
Foundation College of Consultants.
Steensma points to the transition of Parrish
Consulting from sole practitioner to a full-service consulting company as the best work of her
professional career. In doing so, the company
went from servicing 10 to 12 nonprofits per year
to now reaching a broader base of 35 to 40 clients from southern Michigan to the Upper Peninsula, growing to a staff of six and an $850,000
annual budget.
In addition to her career, Steensma has played
a role in local government over the last 20 years.
Her first appointment to the Cascade Township Planning Commission was in 1993, and she
just recently resigned her position on the Kent
County Board of Commissioners. As the immediate past chair of the county commission,
Steensma helped balance the budget, merge zoo
operations with the John Ball Zoo Society, and
expand the Aeronautics Board.
She is currently the president of the Republican Women’s Forum and was a founder/founding board member of the Cascade Community
Foundation.
MICHELLE VAN DYKE
Regional President
Fifth Third Bank
Having moved through the ranks since first joining Old Kent Bank in 1985, Michelle Van Dyke
now serves as Fifth Third Bank’s regional president responsible for the performance of eight of
17 affiliates covering four Midwestern states and
representing almost half of Fifth Third’s territory and net income. She oversees a portfolio totaling nearly $25 billion in assets and more than
$35 billion in deposits.
Van Dyke is deeply committed to ensuring
businesses have the capital and resources necessary to grow even in the face of economic challenges. She has led the bank’s partnership with
the Michigan Bankers Association and Michigan Economic Development Corp. to become a
Pure Michigan Business Connect leading lender, investing $5.9 billion in the state’s consumer
and wholesale loan programs and committing
28 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 50 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN
$2.5 billion in lending directly to Michigan businesses in 2012.
Van Dyke is actively involved in Business
Leaders for Michigan, a roundtable of leaders and executives from the state’s largest job
providers and universities. She has concentrated her efforts on developing strategy, raising
awareness, advocating on policy and championing initiatives that grow the state’s economy.
She has been named one of American Banker’s 25 Most Powerful Women in Banking as
well as a Woman to Watch. The Michigan Women’s Foundation recognized her as a Woman of
Achievement and Courage in 2013. Van Dyke
serves on the boards for Davenport University,
Calvin College, Grand Valley State University
Foundation, Spectrum Health System, The
Right Place Inc. and Grand Action.
TAMI VANDENBERG
Co-Owner, The Meanwhile & The Pyramid Scheme
Executive Director, Well House
Tami VandenBerg is a business woman, a community leader and an activist willing to take
enormous risks, blending a love for community,
event organizing, the arts and helping vulnerable people.
VandenBerg is co-owner of two popular
neighborhood pubs — The Meanwhile and
The Pyramid Scheme — and has successfully
breathed new life into Well House, which was at
risk of closing in 2012 after 35 years of housing
the homeless. Well House has now purchased
four additional houses under VandenBerg’s
leadership, doubling capacity for permanent
housing.
As one of few female bar owners in the city,
VandenBerg has created 60 jobs in the last six
years with her business partner brother, and
has opened the stage to countless entertainers.
VandenBerg also co-founded Ladyfest, an annual showcase of women musicians and artists
in the area.
She continues to work toward ending the
stigma against those who use drugs or have
HIV. She has chaired the board of the Grand
Rapids Red Project, which spearheaded efforts
to reduce the number of new HIV cases in Kent
County, and she helped fund and organize the
DecriminalizeGR campaign to lessen penalties
for marijuana possession in the city.
She sits on the Mayor’s Gun Policy Task
Force, is a member of Cure Violence, and formerly served the host committee for Friends of
Grand Rapids Parks’ Green Gala. VandenBerg’s
many accolades most recently include receiving
the 2013 Good to Great Award from the Young
Nonprofit Professionals Network.
KATHLEEN VOGELSANG
Director and Chief Investment Officer
Van Andel Institute
Kathleen Vogelsang excels at working from the
ground up.
She was hired in 2005 to start the Van Andel
Institute Investment Office, made possible by
a generous $1 billion endowment from Jay and
Betty Van Andel’s estate. She wasted no time in
creating an investment policy and strategy as
the markets were moving up, and put into place
a well-diversified endowment portfolio with
high-quality investment managers in a very
short amount of time. She also developed departmental systems and a budget that currently
sits at $900,000, and has grown the office to four
employees who assist with the endowment.
In the community, Vogelsang is a founding
member of West Michigan Youth Ballet and the
Circle of Red women leaders for the American
Heart Association’s Go Red for Women cam-
paign and previously co-chaired the annual Go
Red luncheon. In 2011, she and two friends started the charitable group called West Michigan
100 Strong, where members individually donate
$100 each quarter to collectively contribute to
local charities through a group nominating and
voting process at quarterly meetings. Over the
last two years, West Michigan 100 Strong has
raised almost $70,000 for 20 different organizations serving the community.
Vogelsang also serves the Grand Rapids Community Foundation’s investment committee, the
Seidman College of Business Finance Advisory
Board and Seidman College of Business Alumni
Association. In 2013, Vogelsang joined three additional boards, adding her voice to the World
Affairs Council of America, the Michigan Women’s Commission and Ele’s Place Grand Rapids.
LINDA J. VOS-GRAHAM
President/Owner
Vos Glass Inc.
During eight of the past 10 years, Vos Glass has
earned awards of excellence for its many technical and high-profile commercial glazing projects while growing its retail business under the
leadership of Linda J. Vos-Graham.
President since 2002, Vos-Graham has nearly
tripled the size of the full-service commercial
and retail glass company, and she expects the
60-person company to gross sales of over $12
million in 2013-2014. Vos-Graham’s innovative
leadership in a traditionally male-dominated
field has brought her company success, despite
working in an industry heavily impacted by the
recession.
Her achievements merited recognition last
year as a Top Women Owned Business by GRBJ
and a spot on the Top Ten Women Owned Glazing Contractors in the Country from U.S. Glass
Magazine. In 2013, she became the first female
inducted into Michigan Construction Hall of
Fame.
Vos-Graham also was the first female president of the American Subcontractors Association of Michigan, elected by her mostly male
peers. She recently finished her term as the
group’s president and has gone on to help fund
the first construction-subcontractor scholarship endowment.
She previously served on the board of the
Associated Builders and Contractors of West
Michigan and was the founding president of the
Michigan Glass Association, where she successfully led a 10-year advocacy effort for legislation
to ban insurance companies restricting consumer choice for their auto glass repairs.
Her company also donated several thousand
pounds of scrap and cutoff glass to help build
the 2011 Top Ten ArtPrize entry, “Metaphorest.”
50 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 29
BEVERLY WALL
CEO
Languages International Inc.
Beverly Wall lives in two cultures as CEO and
owner of Languages International Inc.: the culture of business and the culture of international
communications.
Through Languages International, she helps
individuals, companies, nonprofits and governmental organizations embrace the nuances of
linguistics and fragility of communication in
other languages.
Wall’s true passion, however, is mentoring
West Michigan’s future female leaders and helping women-owned businesses grow. She started
her own marketing consultancy, Wall2Wall
Marketing, specifically to help women business
owners. She is active with the Michigan Center
for Empowerment and Economic Development,
certifies women-owned businesses through the
Women’s Business Enterprise National Council,
works with Inforum’s Activate program train-
ing women for business and assists the Michigan Women’s Foundation. Wall also chairs the
advisory committee for Davenport University’s
Maine School of Business. Her successes as an
entrepreneur are worthy of note, having revitalized Languages International after purchasing
the company in 2003. She led the company to a
200 percent sales increase.
Wall has been recognized as a leading women-owned business and received awards from
Toastmasters International, VIEW 100, Grand
Valley State University’s Siedman College of
Business, and the Grand Rapids Area Chamber’s
Athena Award program.
Wall has been a Grand Rapids Township planning commissioner since 2008 and has served
numerous boards including Susan G. Komen
West Michigan, Community Rebuilders and
American Heart Association.
CHRIS WILLIS
CEO
Media 1
Chris Willis is calling for a revolution in human
capital, and she’s actively leading the charge to
change the way large corporations measure and
value their people.
A recognized authority on corporate learning and performance improvement, Willis is
the visionary entrepreneur behind Media 1, the
award-winning $1.5 million consultancy driving
measurable performance improvement for some
of the world’s leading Fortune 500 brands since
1993. As CEO of the Grand Haven-based company, Willis leads a team of experts providing
companies the insights and assistance needed to
align people, process and technology to achieve
business goals.
Passionate about helping people envision a
positive future, Willis regularly presents at industry conferences and writes extensively in her
field. She recently published an eBook, “Return
On People,” and presented “I Am Human Capital” at TEDxMuskegon last fall.
Although her business has evolved significantly over the years, Willis noted it is the constant metamorphosis that has given her a unique
perspective on entrepreneurship and the skills
today’s students need to be successful. In 2013,
she helped launch Mosaica Online Academy of
Michigan, serving as board vice president for the
online public charter school. Through Working
Together for Youth, she seeks solutions against
youth violence in the Muskegon and Muskegon Heights communities. She also founded and
chaired Friends of Muskegon Dog Beach.
An active chamber board member, Willis
helps support and promote area entrepreneurship and is currently developing a business model for launching a co-working space in her Grand
Haven office building.
SHANNON WILSON
Executive Director
Grand Rapids African American Health Institute
Shannon Wilson is a rising, dynamic leader focused on improving the health and well-being of
Grand Rapids area residents.
Passionate about strengthening the health
care safety net for vulnerable populations, she
has devoted most of her career to studying the
intersection between health and race.
Wilson is motivated by a desire to improve the
health care experience for minority populations
and seeks to build partnerships that facilitate
the reduction of disparities at the systemic and
grassroots levels.
As executive director of the Grand Rapids African American Health Institute, Wilson leads
efforts to improve the health and health care of
the African-American community and is responsible for strategic planning, community outreach, research initiatives and advocacy. She has
repositioned the agency as a premier institution
30 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 50 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN
in Michigan, brokered strategic relationships
with Grand Valley State University for research
and mentoring/teaching opportunities, and led
the Strong Beginnings consortium to reduce
African-American infant mortality.
Wilson is a founding member of the newly
formed Anchor Organization Network, a collaboration of six organizations funded by the W.K.
Kellogg Foundation to improve the safety net of
the urban core.
She concurrently serves as assistant vice president of the Alliance for Health. In this role, Wilson oversees grant management, talent development and retention, community relations and
several health quality improvement initiatives.
Previously, Wilson worked as the state of
Michigan’s first health disparities epidemiologist and held positions within the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention.
The MBPA supports Michigan
women in business. We salute the
2014 Grand Rapids Business Journal’s
50 Most Influential
Women in
West Michigan!
Let us Make Your Business Better, contact us at:
phone 888-277-6464
michbusiness.org • info@michbusiness.org
Detroit • Grand Rapids • Lansing
Join us on:
50 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 31
Michigan State University’s
executive-style Weekend MBA
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